The Seventh Sister
by Licuma Lome
Summary: Celaene hates Severus and always has, but when a series of events involving a certain cat lead her closer and closer to him, how can she resist? SnapeSinistra, M for language.
1. In Which a Painful Bruise is Acquired

Please review! How else will I know if it's being read? I hope you like it… Also, I wrote this before HBP came out. There's a sequel that's post-HBP, so I might put that up later. Anyway, yeah, this is before Harry's sixth year.

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**Chapter One: In Which a Painful Bruise is Acquired**

Celaene Sinistra was not what could be considered "social". She was more likely to be found alone than with her friends, on top of her tower rather than in the Great Hall, and in her rooms rather than at meals. At least, that was how it was during the school year. She didn't like her students. They were loud, gregarious, and disrespectful and she'd much rather sit with her telescope and a cup of tea, marking Venus's progress across the sky.

But during the summer, when it stayed warm so late at night and there was time for more careful study, she was more like her coworkers. She'd spend an hour or two in the staffroom with Minerva McGonagall and Eleanor Gimple, the Muggle Studies professor, and simply talk to them—something, she had to admit, she didn't do often enough.

The other teachers were not of much interest to her. Dumbledore was a good employer and an interesting fellow, but she didn't know him well—she doubted anyone did, really. Filius Flitwick was good for a joke occasionally, and Severus Snape… perhaps he was a bit too interesting for her. When he had first come to the school, newly freed from his lifetime imprisonment in Azkaban, well… he had been enough to give her strange dreams for two weeks—and not unpleasant ones. But no one was to know that but her cat, Sylvia (who was sworn to secrecy).

It was on such an unusual night that she was awoken by a persistent growl in her stomach and couldn't get rid of it. Admitting defeat, she pulled a thin black robe over her dark blue nightdress and snuck off to see if the house elves had any left-over dinner that they could spare. Her wand—a pretty Italian work of ivory and phoenix feather—lit and held in front of her, she slipped down the hallway and down two uneventful flights of stairs. It had been a miracle she hadn't tripped over Sylvia. That cat was smarter than she looked, and smarter than she generally acted. She made soft kissing noises to the silvery grey animal. "Come on, Sylvia, let's go to the kitchens," Celaene whispered. Sylvia followed her silently, like a pale shadow in the dark.

Hogwarts was intimidating in the dark. She'd found that out when she'd been in her third year and snuck off to the very tower in which she now resided. She'd gotten lost quickly and had had to spend the night behind a suit of armor, hoping Filch wouldn't find her. It had been the oldest of her six sisters, Asterope, who had finally found her and led her back to her Ravenclaw dormitory, all the while telling her that if she kept wandering off like that, she'd write to their parents, Atlas and Pleione, and tell them. The threat had only kept her in her dormitory for a few days, though, before the temptation of a nighttime eclipse drew her back to places she really shouldn't be.

Celaene was thinking along such lines when she was suddenly knocked off her feet and sent flying down the flight of stairs she'd just climbed. "Shit," she hissed up the stairs. "Why don't you watch where you're going?"

"I could ask the same of you," replied the deep, silky baritone. "What are you doing out this late, Sinistra?"

"It's none of your business, Snape," she muttered, rubbing her forehead. She was glad it was dark and he couldn't see the pinkish blush that had spread across her cheeks. _Why him? _Celaene asked desperately. _It's got to be the one I dream about, doesn't it?_

"No, I suppose it's not," he said, walking smoothly down the stairs, like a shadow. "Although I'd be more careful, if I were you. You wouldn't want to bump into anything. You might hurt yourself," he added, with the slightest trace of a laugh in his voice.

"Fuck you, Snape," she said bluntly.

"No, I'd rather not," he replied quietly, and stalked off into the night. She waited until she was quite sure he was gone, then murmured to her cat, "Sylvia, you'll have to help me kill him one day."

"That accursed cat? I doubt it," came the reply from the uncomfortably familiar silky drawl.

"Aren't you gone yet?" Celaene snapped angrily.

"Apparently not."

She bit her lip to stop herself from shouting at him and lit her wand again. She was in the Entrance Hall and he was just about to enter the dungeons. The conjured light drew attention to his clear snow-white skin that contrasted sharply with the raven-black hair that hung loosely to his shoulders. The tall, thin man smiled sardonically at her and waved. Celaene whipped around and stalked back up the stairs, wondering which curse she should have used. She rubbed her head again, feeling the tender spot that was almost certainly a heavy bruise.


	2. In Which Lunar Advice is Required

Note: I do not own the characters, only the plot.

The chapters and bits of chapters that are italicized are from Snapes point of view. I hope you enjoy, and please review! Again, this is pre-HBP.

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_**Chapter Two: In Which Lunar Advice is Required**_

_Severus smiled to himself when he saw Sinistra the next morning. She looked sour and sleepy, with a large bruise across her forehead that was actually a rather nice shade of purple. It went well with the dark violet of her robes. "Sleep well?" he asked her sweetly._

_She simply rolled her eyes and turned towards Gimple._

_He took a seat next to McGonagall. "Good morning, Severus," she said briskly._

_"Indeed," he replied, not looking away from Sinistra. He knew of a simple potion that would heal the bruise in seconds, but he wouldn't mention it, of course. She was a kind enough woman with all but him and Filch, though he enjoyed her company, if only because it afforded them a chance to argue. She glanced back at him, gave him the finger, and continued her discussion with Eleanor Gimple. He chuckled quietly. She was a pleasant-looking woman—not beautiful, not like Lily Potter, but pleasant, with the long, black-brown hair, pale complexion, and short, curvy figure common in witches of House Sinistra. When Severus finally looked away from her, McGonagall brought him back to his life. He took a bite of his cooling porridge as she continued a conversation they'd started the day before._

_"Severus, have you finished the potion yet? Remus needs it as soon as possible. Full moon's tomorrow."_

_"I'll have it ready tonight, Minerva," he said shortly._

_"Good," she replied. "And you'll take it to him?"_

_"Certainly." He supposed he really should have finished the potion already, done it last night, but he'd put it off, not looking forward to the necessary visit. Severus got to his feet and swept out of the nearly empty Great Hall. It was quiet during the summer with no students around. Several teachers chose to remain at Hogwarts during the summer, so it was not entirely deserted, but it was better than usual and he wouldn't have to see the horrible faces of any of his students for two more months._

_Safely back in the dungeons where few would even know where to find him to disturb him, he opened one of many cabinets and drawers and extracted several vials of moonwater. Each labeled in his neat script with a date, a location, and a time. Carefully, so as not to break the delicate glass bottles, he chose two, wrote down the dates, and walked out of the room again._

_Severus muttered the password to the statue of Diane and stepped through the door that appeared. It was amusing, really, that Sinistra thought her password was difficult to guess. He walked through the short hallway and pushed the door silently open. Sinistra was bent over her fireplace, talking to a head in the fire. He leaned against the doorway, waiting for her to notice him. It didn't take long._

_"Snape, what are you doing in here?" she asked, looking up from her companion._

_"Coming to talk to you. Which should be blindingly obvious even to you, Sinistra."_

_The head in the fire raised her eyebrows. "Celaene, who's this beautiful man?" She looked him over and he subconsciously drew back from the door a little._

_"Shut up, Taygeta," she hissed. "Ignore my sister, Snape. So tell me what you're really here for."_

_He held out the piece of parchment. "Which of these dates fell on the full moon?" he asked grudgingly. He knew he could have easily found the answer himself, but it would have meant a trip to the library, and Madame Pince was already sick of him. Not that Sinistra wasn't._

_"The first," she said, after a few seconds._

_"Thank you." Severus turned to leave the room, but stopped when the woman in the fire spoke again._

_"Can I have your Floo number?"_

_Severus sneered at her. "Certainly not."_

_"You wouldn't want it, Taygeta," Sinistra said, more to him than to her. "He's horrible. You wouldn't be able to stand it for more than a few minutes."_

_Severus bowed ironically and left the room, kicking the door shut as he left._


	3. In Which a Lunarscope is Destroyed

The use of the name "Merope" is a coincidence... The Sinistra sisters are named after the Pleiades, and Merope is one of the Pleiades. Hope you like it, please review!

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**Chapter Three: In Which a Lunarscope is Thoroughly Destroyed**

After speaking with all of her sisters in turn—which had taken a long time, especially as the twins, Maia and Merope, had taken at least an hour, Celaene retreated to the peace of her study with a blank sky chart, a quill, ink, and a lunarscope. Celaene had loved the stars ever since she'd learned of their existence—they seemed so above the world, above what happened down on earth. They were distant and indifferent while still being inspiring and hopeful. Stars never hurt anyone; they never caused pain. She loved her work with them.

Celaene stood up to put some music on. She was fond of Muggle music, especially what they called "New Age", and particularly a woman named Enya. Halfway through one of her favorite songs, "Book of Days," the door opened.

"If your name is Severus Snape, turn around and leave this instant; I don't want to talk to you," she said, not looking up.

"And if your name is Eleanor Gimple?"

Celaene looked up and smiled. "Sorry, Eleanor, come in and sit down. Would you like a cup of tea?"

"Thanks, Celaene. I'd love some. What kind is it today?"

"Don't say it in such a scornful tone. Just because it's unusual doesn't mean it's not good," Celaene scolded.

"It's red."

"It's spicy. You'll like it." Celaene poured a steaming cup for her friend and pushed it across the table towards her. "So what do you need, Eleanor?"

"I just wanted to talk," said the Muggle Studies teacher much too innocently.

Celaene raised an eyebrow. "'Talk'?" she asked. "Talk about what?"

"Nothing in particular."

"Eleanor, I know you too well for that to work. Tell me, what is it?"

"Oh, alright," said Eleanor unwillingly. "You just seem so distant these days, Celaene. Sprout and I just wanted to know… are you seeing anyone special, Celaene?" She asked the last bit with a slight grin.

"You and Sprout are too nosy for your own good," Celaene muttered. "And, of course, the answer is _no_. I'd _tell_ you if I was."

"So… you're open to suggestions?"

"This is getting dangerous, Eleanor," Celaene warned.

"Well… Sprout and I just think that you and Snape—"

"Don't say it again. Don't even finish that sentence. Don't do it, Eleanor."

"—Are perfect," she finished.

Celaene calmly stood up, grabbed her lunarscope, and threw it at Eleanor, who ducked, laughing. "It's not funny! I hate the sarcastic, arrogant, evil bastard, and now I hate _you_, so just get out of my study!"

She chased her friend out of the room and out of the tower, locking the door magically. Back in her study, Sylvia surveyed the shards of glass and metal that now littered the floor, possibly thinking about the waste, but more likely wondering when she'd be let out for her nighttime prowling.


	4. Of Young Cats and Old Wounds

Here's where the cat from the summary comes in. As always, I hope you like it, please review!

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**_Chapter Four: Of Young Cats and Old Wounds_**

_A silver cat, like a ray of moonlight, hopped into his lap. _

_"Get off," he murmured._

_She didn't move._

_He threw a pinch of Floo powder into the fire. "Sinistra," he hissed. _

_"What?" She came spinning into view, irritated and half-dressed under her dressing gown. "I am about to go to bed, Snape. I, unlike you, do need to get some sleep."_

_"Please keep your cat where she belongs, will you?" He pushed Sylvia off his lap. Sinistra scooped her up and stalked back to the fire. _

_"You think I control my familiar? Cats are too sophisticated for that sort of control."_

_"Or too stubborn and nosy," he muttered._

_"I heard that," she shot back before disappearing into the fire._

_Severus watched her disappear into the fire. He had delivered the Wolfsbane Potion to Lupin already, so he had no other obligations. He leaned back in his chair, staring out the window. Severus liked stars, but Sinistra was never to know that. He'd never hear the end of it._

_The Potions Master shifted his gaze to look moodily at the one photograph on his desk. She stared back at him, smiling, her red hair shining in the sun and her green eyes twinkling. Lily Potter… he had loved her, but she had disliked him... The reason he'd become a Death Eater, the reason he hated Harry Potter… it was all summed up in that bright smile._

_In a fit of anger born of an old hurt, he turned the picture over and walked quickly out of the room. He didn't need to think about her now. She was dead and nothing would bring her back._

_A soft purr came from his bed. He jerked back the curtains, saw the grey cat, and howled at the top of his voice, "Sinistra!"_

_"How the hell did it get down here again?"_

_"How should I know?"_

_"Why can't you keep her in your rooms?"_

_"Do I have to repeat myself?"_

_"Damn it, Sinistra, just get it out of here, and keep it out! The next time I see it, I'll poison it, and she'll be dead before she can blink those accursed green eyes. And you know I can."_

_"Yeah," she muttered. "And I know other things about you, too."_

_"Such as?"_

_"Only the stars can tell," she replied mysteriously. _

_"You sound like Trelawney."_

_Sinistra picked her cat back up and walked out of the room. "But what I say is fact, not guess. By the way," she added cruelly, "she won't come back…"_

_His face darkened with rage. He strode over to her, grabbed her shoulder, and flung her against the wall in anger. "You know nothing of my mind."_

_"Thank God." She slipped out of the room, leaving him breathing heavily, clutching his wand and barely managing to keep it from hexing her._


	5. In Which More than a Cat is Disobedient

I kind of like this chapter... especially the very end... I hope you like it and please review.

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**Chapter Five: In Which More than a Cat is Disobedient**

"Sylvia, you are forbidden to wander off into Snape's dungeon. Understand?"

The cat blinked and flicked her tail.

"I'm going to charm the door shut."

An ear twitched.

"And lock it the normal way."

A slight purr.

Celaene sighed and threw off her dressing gown, revealing the dark blue silk she liked. "Come here, kitty," she finally said. Sylvia hopped nimbly onto the bed, curling up on Celaene's chest like a small, fluffy, silver pillow.

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"Severus…" she murmured. He gave her the sardonic smile that made her hate him.

"What is it, Sinistra?"

"Severus…" she reached out for him. He stepped back, still smiling. "Come here," she pleaded.

"Why?"

"Come here! I need you _now_!"

He simply watched her struggle to reach him. She couldn't do it. He was too far away. She ran after him but never got closer. He reached out a hand to her and she tried to grab it, but it slipped from her fingers like water. Then he turned his head, his hair fell in his face, and he was gone when she blinked.

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Celaene woke up, sweating and gasping for air. She pushed Sylvia aside and walked over to her open window, leaning out of it and breathing in the cool night air, feeling empty and weak. She couldn't reach him. Why couldn't she reach him? She—

"No. Absolutely not," she told herself firmly, resuming her normal attitude. _I hate him. I'll always hate him._

The moon was going down again; it was early morning. Yes, she could see where the sun would come up now. It was about five o'clock. There was time for some more sleep before breakfast. Celaene slipped between the cool cotton sheets, staring up into the darkness above her bed. She'd simply have to ignore the dreams, instruct her subconscious to mind its own business and leave her alone.

The rest of the night she slept without dreams, but without peace, and she woke up in the morning feeling no more rested or calm than she had after the dream.

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"Celaene, you don't look well. Perhaps you should go see Poppy?"

Celaene looked up from her breakfast, staring distantly at Minerva and determinedly ignoring Snape.

"I… No, I just didn't sleep well last night. Bad dreams."

"Oh. Well, maybe you should ask Severus for a potion for that…"

"No."

Snape smirked at her from the other end of the table. She shot him a venomous look and turned back to Minerva. "I'm going into Hogsmeade tomorrow. Do you need anything?"

"Oh, yes, if it's no trouble, I could use another few quills."

"Sure." She looked down the table. "Anyone else need anything from Hogsmeade?"

Flitwick asked for a bar of Honeyduke's chocolate, ignoring the fact that he was diabetic, and Hagrid requested a bottle of Firewhiskey. When she passed Snape, he opened his mouth, but she said, "You can go yourself if you want something."

"As if I need anything from a woman who spends her time dreaming over stars and meditating to that Muggle music…"

She flicked her wand at him, setting his hair on fire, and flounced out of the room, unaware of the shrewd look Eleanor was giving her.


	6. A Poor Joke and Two Fractured Hearts

That cat again... It's almost like she's trying to get hurt. Hope ya like it and please, please review!

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**_Chapter Six: A Poor Joke and Two Fractured Hearts_**

_He was furious. Again he had gone into his bedroom, exhausted and impatient, and found that stupid animal occupying his pillow. "Sinistra," he called into the fire. "Come watch your cat die…"_

_She was there in an instant, snatching her precious cat out of harm's way. "I'm sorry," she said, a note of anxiety in her normally calm voice. "I just can't seem to keep her away! Please, Snape, don't—"_

_He smirked at her protests, wondering why she'd attach herself so to a being that could barely distinguish her from any other witch. Severus pulled a small, black bottle from his robes. "I intend to keep my promises," he hissed._

_"Don't do it," she whispered feebly, holding her cat as tightly as she dared._

_"Here, kitty," he called softly, watching her eyes grow round in fear as Sylvia twisted, trying to get free. "Come here, kitty-kitty-kitty…"_

_The cat struggled free of Sinistra's protective grip and trotted over to him, rubbing against his legs, purring. _

_"Sylvia!" she said, real panic in her voice as he opened the bottle. She ran forward to get her pet back. "Snape, I'll curse you…" She waved her wand._

_"As if you could curse me," he scoffed, lifting the cat almost gently into his arms. He rubbed a drop of the dark liquid into the fur on the back of the young cat's neck, then let her jump to the floor, where she swayed once or twice, then collapsed._

_"Sylvia!" shrieked Sinistra. "You bastard," she moaned. "You fucking bastard, you killed my cat!"_

_"Yes," he said shortly. "That's what poison does, you see?"_

_Sinistra tenderly scooped the remains of her faithful pet into her arms, cradling it like a child. "I hate you, Snape," she hissed._

_"Glad to hear it," he said carelessly. It was immensely enjoyable to watch her. He'd thought she was smarter than that, but she didn't see through him at all._

_She pulled out her white wand, aimed it at him. "_Conflagratta_," she spat, watching blue flames rise around his robes. He extinguished them quickly, laughing, watching her get angrier and angrier. With sharp slashing movements, she produced several shallow cuts across his face before she heard her cat. It meowed feebly and she stopped, startled. "Sylvia…?" She looked at it, then at Severus, before bursting into tears._

_Severus was surprised by that. It had, after all, been a joke, and a poor one at that. Even Sinistra should have seen through it._

_"You bastard," she repeated, stroking her cat gently. "You worthless piece of bat shit. I don't believe you. No, not even _you_…" Sinistra sat down on the edge of his bed, examining Sylvia. He reached out a hand to her, looking genuinely concerned. He hadn't meant to cause so much harm. Sinistra didn't deserve all this much… "Don't touch me," she sniffed._

_"Sinistra, I wouldn't kill another living thing."_

_"You've done it enough before."_

_"Yes, well, I've changed."_

_"That's what you think!" she spat, and left the room at a run, Sylvia cradled in her arms. "But you're just the same, Snape, the same stinking snake you've always been!"_

_Snape watched her go. Her words stung. They shouldn't have; he'd heard them time and again, but they did, oddly enough. He shrugged it off and sank back in his bed, but he didn't sleep for hours._


	7. In Which Escape Seems Unlikely

Poor, poor Celaene... She just can't seem to understand herself, can she? As usual, I hope you like it, please review.

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**Chapter Seven: In Which Escape Seems Depressingly Unlikely**

Celaene was still wiping tears out of her eyes when she arrived back in West Tower fifteen minutes later. Sylvia seemed fine, but she had been so scared… _Bastard_, she thought angrily. She deposited Sylvia on her bed—the cat fell instantly and calmly asleep, as though nothing had happened—and proceeded up to the top of her tower. Only the stars could calm her now. There was something soothing about the stars… Lyra and Vega, directly above her, rotated towards Andromeda as the moon on the other side of the sky blotted out several other stars and Severus kissed her neck…

NO. She was _not_ daydreaming about the man who had just faked killing her cat. It was not possible. Celaene looked up at the stars that twinkled innocently above her and asked them silently, _Why me?

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_

"He faked poisoning Sylvia, Eleanor!" Celaene complained loudly in the staffroom the next morning.

"Why?"

"I have no idea."

"Maybe he's flirting…" Sprout suggested mischievously.

"Shut up, Sprout," said Celaene grumpily. "His hate for me is matched only by mine for him."

"Denial," muttered Sprout.

"Cut it out," Celaene warned.

"I'm sure he's really very nice, once you get to know him… And he seems like kind who's _really_ good in—"

Celaene walked out of the staffroom before Eleanor could finish her sentence. She was sick of her friends trying to set her up. If she wanted a man, she was perfectly capable of talking to him. If she hated him, why couldn't they just let her hate him in peace? Why could she not control her own mind? Did everything have to turn against her at once? Thank the Seven Sisters she still had her cat.

* * *

Sylvia greeted her with a faint meow and sprang lightly into her lap, rubbing her furry chin against Celaene's fingers. She pulled a stack of parchment towards her, ready to do some lesson planning to distract her from her life.

No sooner had she picked up her quill than a soft rap came at her door. "Sinistra…"

"Go away, damn you."

"No, Sinistra… I need to know when Venus is going to make a right angle to Saturn so I can predict the next eclipse for Veritaserum."

"August twenty-seventh. Now go away."

"Thank you," said the dark, silken voice. "You are ever so polite."

"You want to know how polite I can be?"

"No, thanks, I prefer not to accept sexual favors from my coworkers…"

"Fuck you!"

"No, dear, that's what I'm saying," he said patiently. "It doesn't work like that."

He was gone before she could think of a witty comeback.

Celaene rested her head on her desk, cradled in her arms. She was suddenly struck by an insane urge to run after him… _I must be sick, or tired or… something._


	8. Of Dusty Books and Shadowed Corners

Please enjoy, please review.

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**_Chapter Eight: Of Dusty Books and Shadowed Corners_**

_It was unavoidable. A trip to the Library was a necessity. Severus sighed, stretched, stood up. Just one more step before he was done. And he almost had it right… It would be something to be proud of, he was sure, and those things were rare. But if he could successfully shorten the recipe for Veritaserum while still making it effectively…_

_Severus breathed in the dusty, worn smell of paper and ink that hovered like a cloud in the Library. He nodded stiffly to Madame Pince, who glared at him over her narrow spectacles. He passed rows of meticulously labeled shelves—Bibliomancy, Restricted Section, Magical Creatures A-M, Magical Creatures N-Z… Potions. He slipped between the familiar rows, examining each book's Latin or Greek title, searching for the one he needed…_

_He eased it off the shelf and opened it, careful of its fragile, crumbling pages, squinting at the faded words. For twenty minutes he looked through the book, committing a phrase here, a paragraph there to his needle-sharp memory. When he'd found exactly what he needed, he smiled slightly, replaced the book, and hit something soft._

_"You again," he muttered. "You're like a curse, you know."_

_"Thank you ever so much," said Sinistra angrily._

_"You're very welcome. But please try to stop running into me. It's rather tiresome…"_

_"If I had a choice, I'd stay twenty feet away from you at all times."_

_"Then I'm sorry you don't have a choice." He swept out of the heavily shadowed corner into the magically illuminated reading room of the Library. It occurred to him that she probably should have been on the other side of the Library—wasn't Astronomy over with Divination and Defense Against the Dark Arts?—but he didn't have time to think about it. All he could concentrate on was the last step of the puzzle… And to think it was only lacewing flies. He should have seen it right away, he supposed…

* * *

_

_"Headmaster," Severus announced himself._

_"Yes, Severus?" He was greeted with a smile and a twinkle in the bright blue eyes that were so familiar by now._

_"I have finished." He held out the parchment to the old wizard, who looked it over before a broad smile spread over his ancient face._

_"Congratulations, Severus. You have solved an old puzzle, very old."_

_"Thank you, Headmaster."_

_Dumbledore looked at him the way a father looks at his favorite son. "My boy," he said, "can you accept it yet? You have always been so opposed to the fact, but you truly are the greatest master of our time."_

_Severus bowed slightly, shaking his head. "Not at all, Headmaster."_

_"Well, congratulations, anyway," the old man sighed. "Will you have a cup of tea, Severus?"_

_"No, thank you, Headmaster. I have other matters to attend to."_

_"No doubt you do. I'll see you at dinner, then."_

_"Yes, of course." He slipped out of the room, down the stairs, and back to the library. Sinistra was still in that dark Potions corner… Merlin knew why. He let it go and strode over to the Astronomy section, looking for something interesting to read.

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_

_"The Pleiades, main components of Taurus that are sometimes called the Seven Sisters, are often seen as four stars, the last three being dim in comparison. The brightest four are named Maia, Merope, Alcyone, and Elektra; the dim three being Asterope, Taygeta, and Celaeno…" Severus shut the book—an interesting volume entitled The Seven Sisters: Facts and Mythology—and closed his eyes, not realizing how very interesting it was for him to have chosen that particular book…_

_

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_

How very interesting indeed...


	9. In Which a Cat Makes Difficulties

Are they finally figuring it out? I certainly hope so. And I hope you like it, and I hope you review.

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**Chapter Nine: In Which a Certain Cat Makes Difficulties**

"Sylvia…" Celaene called quietly. "Sylvia, come here, kitty, time for breakfast…" The cat didn't come. Celaene sighed. Where was she? "Sylvia, come here!"

A feeble meow was all she could hear. She spun around, looking for the source of the noise, and saw a paw hanging out of a basket of sky charts.

Celaene picked up her cat, gasped, and looked at the creature. Here eyes were half closed, her fur dull, and she had visibly lost weight—just over night. Something was wrong, she knew. "Sylvia, love, what on earth… Snape."

The cat still in her arms, Celaene ran down to the Great Hall as fast as she could. The Potions Master, clad, as usual, in all black, was eating breakfast calmly, reading a thin book about who-knows-what. "Snape!" she cried.

He looked up mildly. "Yes, Sinistra?"

"What have you done to my cat?"

"Nothing at all." He looked back at his book, but Celaene crossed the room and snatched it away from him, replacing it with Sylvia, who she set gently in his lap.

"Don't tell me 'nothing at all,' snake, look at her!"

"She's sick. Don't blame me."

"She's sick because you fed her something poisoned!"

"Certainly not. Why would I do that?"

"Heaven knows, why, Snape, but you did," Celaene snarled.

"No, I didn't. But I can stop it. What a pity you didn't ask politely." Snape surveyed her cat, examining her with pale, slender fingers.

"What?"

"No, I suppose you wouldn't want me to…"

"Yes! Do it! Please, Snape, please save my cat," begged Celaene, changing quickly from anger.

Snape stood up and walked off to the dungeons, the feline cradled almost gently in one arm. Celaene followed at a run.

* * *

In the dim light of the dungeons, Celaene saw him open a cabinet and draw out a neatly labeled flask of pearly-white liquid. He opened it carefully, poured it into a tiny vial, and inserted this into the cat's mouth. She protested feebly, but was really too weak to resist it. Snape watched the animal closely for almost a full minute, then he glanced at Celaene. "She'll sleep now, but when she wakes up, she'll recover."

"Oh, Snape, _thank_ you," gasped the small Astronomy professor, running over. Surprising herself—not to mention him—she wrapped an arm around him, pressing her cheek to his shoulder in a tight hug. "Thank you," she said finally, releasing him.

"Not at all," he muttered, sounding strained. "Now, please, take your cat and go."

Celaene looked up, startled. "Are you alright, Snape?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Goodbye." She turned and left, glancing once more at him before looking down at her sleeping pet and leaving the dungeons. He had his eyes closed, had sunk down into a chair, and suddenly looked sick, or tired. She made a note to herself to send Poppy down.

* * *

_"No, Poppy, I don't need a potion. You'd think I'd know if I did, being the Potions Master." Severus sent her away, ignoring the offended look on her face. But he hadn't felt like this in seventeen years, not since Lily. Severus wrapped his cloak more tightly around himself. _No,_ he thought firmly. _I feel _nothing_ for that… woman._ But when she'd hugged him, he had breathed in that scent from her hair, vanilla with a trace of cinnamon… Snape shook his head and stood up. He'd have a walk to get rid of this._

_

* * *

_

Licuma Lome: (points hopefully at the review button) Please?

Reader: (well, okay, so I don't know what you're doing. But hopefully, you click on the review button.)


	10. In Which the Unexpected and Uninvited

It's about time. Again, I hope you like it and please review.

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**Chapter Ten: In Which the Unexpected and Uninvited Invites Itself In for Tea**

Sprout, Eleanor, and Celaene were sitting there around the table in the staffroom, contentedly drinking their tea, eating biscuits, and chatting happily about students, grades, lesson plans, and, among the two older women, _men._ Celaene contributed very little to that part of the discussion, though it was amusing to hear Sprout account Flitwick's attempts to steal her heart, and funnier still to listen to Eleanor tell them about her third husband. Celaene was just pouring herself another cup and adding milk when another person arrived.

"Hello, Severus," Sprout greeted him.

Celaene smiled stiffly and Eleanor didn't respond at all.

"Well, come have some tea," the Herbology professor commanded.

Uncertainly, as if he was not sure he was supposed to, he walked over and poured a cup of scorching liquid into a cup before transferring it—steam and all—directly and immediately into his mouth. Eleanor stared. "Don't you burn yourself?"

"No," he replied abruptly, helping himself to a biscuit.

"Are you feeling better?" Celaene inquired. She was genuinely concerned about him, and she didn't know why. Normally, she'd have just shrugged off his illness, not worried about it.

"Not entirely," he said carefully, not meeting her eyes.

"Is there anything I can do?"

At this point, Sprout and Eleanor exchanged significant looks and excused themselves, giggling.

Snape looked at her cautiously. She stared determinedly at her cup of tea. He stepped forward. She stepped back. They waited.

"Sinistra—"

"Snape—"

They spoke at the same time, stopped, looked away, then looked back at each other.

When Celaene had been in her second year at Hogwarts, she and Severus had rather high regard for each other. Each being who they were, they were shy of each other and unwilling to talk, but Celaene's sisters Elektra and Alcyone had nudged her into it, so, being younger than them and unable to shake them off, she'd approached him. It was probably that that made them dislike each other now. Celaene, following her sisters' advice—which had been meant to embarrass her, as siblings do to each other—she had walked up to him in front of the entire class and asked him out. He had run, she had chased him, and he had cursed her, knowing that Potter and Black would take that opportunity to taunt him for weeks and weeks.

But there was no one there now.

Snape stepped forward and grabbed her hand, closing his pale fingers over hers. She looked up at him, seeing something new in his black eyes. Almost awe, but not quite.

"Snape…"

"Sinistra." He was very close to her now. She could smell smoke on him from potion fires and several herbs. His hair was touching her upturned face. Celaene closed her eyes, anticipating his next move…

And his lips touched hers, once… and then again… and again.

"I hate you," she whispered between kisses.

"Liar. Tell the truth, Sinistra," he said teasingly.

"Well, I _would_ hate you if I didn't—"

"Love me?" She felt his hands on her back and it felt good. She nodded slowly.

And then their moment was slaughtered cruelly by the uncharacteristic giggles of Sprout and Eleanor, who were standing in the door. They both looked up and sprang apart as though they'd been caught breaking a law. Celaene turned away, busying herself with the teapot, and Snape collected the books he'd set down. Both were turning furiously red.

"Oh, don't mind us," said Eleanor.

"Yes, go right on doing whatever you were doing…" Sprout added.

Celaene made to exit the room quickly, but, passing Snape, she whispered to him, "The new password to my tower is 'Vega'," and she left in a hurry.

* * *

Finally! They were getting rather annoying about it, I was getting sick of writing about them hating each other! 


	11. Of Venus

Hmm... Sorry if it gets to be a little.. too much... But I hope you like it anyway. Please review!

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**_Chapter Eleven: Of Venus, Who Really Should Learn to Mind Her Own Business_**

_Severus whispered the password to the statue of Diane and slipped into West Tower. Sinistra—Celaene, as he supposed he should now be calling her—was not inside. He climbed the ladder up to the top and saw her gazing out at the stars through a small telescope. He smiled to himself and walked up behind her, surprising her with a hug from behind and a quick kiss on her neck._

_"Oh! Severus."_

_"Anything interesting up there tonight, Celaene?"_

_"Venus," she replied. "She's making a perfect right angle to the Pleiades."_

_Severus looked up. Indeed, it was directly pointing to one of the dimmer stars… "Which means, unless I am much mistaken…" He trailed off, waiting for her to say it._

_"…That it's way past our bedtime," she finished. "Venus is too nosy. Gets into everyone's business."_

_"Is that a bad thing?" He circled around her so that he stood in front of her. She stared into his black eyes, deep with a heavy desire that almost frightened Celaene. _

_"Not entirely," she said carefully._

_Severus began to climb back down into the tower. She stepped down after him and took his hand, leading him through the different rooms. He sat down on the edge of her bed. The pale lavender cotton was cool under his hand and he pulled her towards him._

_The buttons on her robes opened easily. His mind howled at him to stop, reminding him how much he was supposed to hate this woman, but it was overruled by the swelling in his heart and the sweet hunger in his body. Severus admired for a moment the contrast of black against Celaene's skin._

_She tugged at his simple white shirt—his black robes being in a pile on the floor—and he sighed at the feeling of her small hands pressed flat against his bare chest. _

_"Severus, I don't hate you."_

_"That's encouraging."_

_"I love you."

* * *

_

Outside that room, a silver cat flicked her tail and blinked, purring. Perhaps she was simply enjoying the warmth of the fire, but, as Celaene would have known—were she in any condition to care about the thoughts of cats—she was truly expressing her satisfaction that her mistress was finally accepting what had been in the stars for longer than her thirty-three years of life—as was evident from the low moans or cries of ecstasy and fervor seeping out through the cracks around the door.

* * *

_Severus breathed in the scent coming from Celaene's hair—vanilla and cinnamon. Vanilla for love, cinnamon for passion. He wondered if she knew that she had half a love potion in her hair. He didn't need it, anyway._

_She rolled over against him, eyes closed._

_"Sleep, Celaene," he whispered. "Now's my chance to get rid of that bloody cat of yours…"_

_"You're a bad liar," she murmured, already halfway into a dream._

_He shifted slightly. In truth, he was ready to sleep, too. He let his head fall forward so that his nose touched the place where her hair parted, closed his eyes, and joined her._


	12. In Which a Precious Metal is Noticed

This is the last chapter, but there is a sequel that's post-HBP. It's called "Still Alive", if you care to read it. I hope you like the end here, and I really really hope you review!

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**Chapter Twelve: In Which a Precious Metal is Noticed and Our Story Ends**

"It's really beautiful, Celaene," said Eleanor a year later.

"And it's really none of your business," Celaene reminded her, though she was smiling.

"Silver?"

"Goblin-made. And it has our names on the inside." She slipped the ring off of her finger and handed it to her friend.

"Pretty. So you're really going to marry him?"

"I might," she laughed. "If he asks nicely."

"Looks to me like he already did," Minerva pointed out. "Tell me what he said."

"It's not your business," insisted Celaene. "But I said yes. Okay?"

"Well…" Eleanor gave up and let Celaene drift back into her memory.

* * *

_"Marry me, Celaene."_

_"You think I should?"_

_"Yes. Please, Celaene?"_

_"I don't know…"_

_He kissed her. "If I ask like that?"_

_"Ask again."_

_"Celaene Andromeda Sinistra, will you please say yes and stop torturing me?"_

_"Well…"_

_He kissed her again, biting her lip gently._

_"Hey!"_

_"Tell me! Please!"_

_"Yes. I'll marry you, Severus."_

_She kissed him back and he slipped the silver band onto her finger. "I love you," he reminded her._

_"I love you, too, Severus."

* * *

_

Celaene sighed happily and Eleanor and Minerva laughed. "When's the wedding?" asked Minerva.

"Halloween."

"So romantic," said Eleanor, rolling her eyes.

Celaene rolled her eyes right back and stood up. "I've got to go to the library. I'll see you all later."

"What's in the library?"

"What do you think?"

"Severus?"

"_Books_, Eleanor. But he's probably there, too… It's unhealthy. If he reads any more potions books, he'll probably start sprouting them," said Celaene affectionately before leaving the room in search of her fiancé.


End file.
